Improved machine for varnishing cloth



S. B. B. N OWLAN. Machine for varnishing Cloth.

Patented Sept. 11, 1866.

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UNITED STATES PATENT (Danton.

SAMUEL'B. B. NOWLAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,955, dated September11, 1866.

.central vertical longitudinal section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in bothfigures.

This invention consists in a novel construction of a machine for coatingfabrics with varnish, as required in the manufacture of oil orwater-proof cloths, whereby the several operations of saturating thecloth with varnish, of

' removing the surplus varnish from the said cloth and evenly spreadingthe residue upon its surface, and of thoroughly drying the var- .nish inand upon the fibers thereof are simultaneously performed upon thedifferent portions of the cloth as it passes through the machine, thusgreatly reducing the expenditure of time and labor required in themanufacture of such water-proof fabrics as heretofore conducted. 7

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of niyinvention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

A is a strong frame-work, which supports the other portions of theapparatus, and in the front or forward end of which is situated a vat orreservoir, B, which holds the varnish with which it is designed to coator saturate the cloth. The sidcsof this vat are made double,

' with a steam-space, cubetween them, the steam in the said space tokeeping the vat warm, and

consequently keeping the varnish in a liquid condition during theoperation of the machine.

I) is a horizontal cross-piece fixed in the frame-work A, and supportinga horizontal steam table, 0., the upper side of which is made of sheetmetal or other good conductor of heat, this steam-table 0 beingconnected by a pipe, c, with the steam-space a of the vat B.

e is a vertical shaft, which is suspended and works in a suitablebearing or journal-boxfixed in a transverse bar, f, and which hasadriving-pulley, 9, attached. to its upper end, while upon its lower endis secured a circular or other properly-shaped brush, D, the length .ordiameter'of which should be about equal to upper part of the frame-workA, and is open .ated by abelt, h, which extends from a pulley, i, on theshaft 0 to another pulley, j, on the shaft is of the fan of the saidblower.

F is a serpentine pipe, which is placedupon the upper side of therearrnost portion of the framework A, and has its two open ends incommunication with the fan blower E. Formed longitudinally in the underside of this serpentine pipe F is arow of small holes or perforations,(indicated at-tin Fig. 1,) so that when air is forced into the said pipeby the fan blower E it will be forced out downward through the aforesaidholes or perforations in the under side of the aforesaid pipe.

Situated in the forward part of the framework A is a vertical transversesliding frame, G, which works in suitable guides formed in the aforesaidframe-work, .so that the frame: .Gr may be moved up or down when desiredto increase or diminish the tension of the cloth during the varnishingoperation, and also to enable the cloth to be varnished with equalfacility atwhatever height thevarnish may be in the. vat, as will behereinafter fully ex-' plained. The lower end of this frame Gr projectsdownward into the vat B, and carries a roller, m, at its lower side, thesaid roller m extending. from one end of the frame to the other.

Working in suitable bearings secured upon the extreme front end of theframe-workA is, a horizontal transverse roller, H, and at the upperfront corner of the said frame-work is another transverseroller, I. Asimilar'roller, J, is situated in front of the steam-table G and overthe rearinost side of the vat B. nis v a smaller roller, which is placedin front of the roller J, parallel with and nearly in contact with thesame.

R represents three transverse horizontal rollers, which may be placed ona level with each other, and which are situated in rear of thesteam-table C. These rollers R, together with the rollers I and J, areall of the same size; and fixed upon one end of the shaft 1 of each oneis a worm-wheel, s, which meshes into a screw, a, formed upon alongitudinal shaft, T, which is situated at one side of the frame-workA, and is rotated by a belt upon the pulley w, attached to one end ofthe said shaft T.

K are transverse rollers corresponding innumber with the rollers R, andplacedi n the upper part of the frame A, over the said rollers R andunderneath the serpentine pipe F.

N is another transverse roller, which is situated at the rearmost end ofthe frame-work A, and which has a pulley, w,- fixedupon one of its ends.A similar pulley, z, is fixed upon the corresponding end of the rearmostroller R, and the two pulleys are connected by a belt, 11 so that therotation of the roller It communicates a corresponding rotary mor crnnutto the roller N.

The vat B being filled with varnish, steam of any desired temperature islet into the steamspace. a of the vat B, and consequently into thesteam-table G, and a rotary motion is communicated to the brush 1) by abelt acting on the pulley g, the belt h at the same time operating thefan-blower E.

The cloth to be varnished is represented in red lines in the drawings,and, previous-to bein g varnished, is wound or. rolled" upon the rollerH. The outer end of the cloth is'then drawn or extended back, first overthe roller I, then underneath the roller m of the slide G, then upwardbetween the roller J and the scraper n, and then back over the fiathorizontal surface of the steam-table (J, and then underneath theforemost roller R, whence it is carried-alternately over the rollers Kand under the rollers R, and is finally secured to the roller N. Theseveral rollers being rotated by the means hereinbefore fully set forth,and in such direction as to unwind. the cloth from the roller H and windit upon the roller N, the cloth is drawn back through the varnish in thevat 13, (its tension being regulated by the pressure of the roller m,)the varnish adhering to and saturating the same, thence between therollers J and n, which squeeze or express the surplus varnish therefrom,and thence over the warm uppersurface of the steam-table (J andunderneath the brush D, the warmth of the steam-table keeping thevarnish in a fluid condition, while the brush D spreadsit evenly overthe surface of the cloth. The cloth then passing over the rollers R andK, as hereinbefore explained, the varnish is dried by the air forceddownward upon the cloth through the holes 1" in the under side of theserpentine wound upon the roller N, the said rollenis removed andreplaced by another, the roller B being also'replaced by one upon whichis wound the succeeding piece ofcloth, upon which the same operation isperformed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is- 1 I 1;The steam-table 0, arranged underneath the cloth and in relation withthe brush 1), substantially as herein set forth, for the purposespecified.

2. The adjustable sliding frame G, applied in combination with the vat13, substantially as herein set forth, for the purpose specified.

3; The vat B, pressure-rollers J n, and frame G, arranged in relationwith each other, andwith' the steam-table O and brush D, substantiallyas herein set forth.

4. The arrangement of the blower E and perforated serpentine pipe F withreference to the cloth as it passes from the coating or saturatingdevices, substantially as herein set forth, for the purpose specified.

' SAMUEL B. B. NOWLAN.

Witnesses:

A. Le Guano, J. W. Ooomss.

